


Melody of Tears While the Rhythm of the Rain Keeps Time

by jolymusichetta



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, It's suddenly pouring rain do you mind if I take shelter under this awning with you? au, daring duo - Freeform, half angst/h/c, half fluff, it's cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-13 00:05:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5686846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jolymusichetta/pseuds/jolymusichetta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike was soaking wet, he didn't know it was supposed to rain. And he couldn't get a cab and he wasn't walking 18 blocks to his apartment when he could barely see past the sheeting rain. Across the road, he saw an awning that had nearly nobody under it, just one girl who, as he got closer, didn't look particularly inviting. He took his chances and asked if he could hide out under there with her until the rain passed.</p><p>At the end of the day, Mike was really glad he asked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Melody of Tears While the Rhythm of the Rain Keeps Time

**Author's Note:**

> How this came to be.
> 
> [5:25:40 AM] Ro: give me some type of prompt  
> [5:26:13 AM] Aaron: It's suddenly pouring rain, do you mind if I take shelter under this awning with you?
> 
> So, yes. Enjoy, I have just finished watching Markiplier's playthrough again and I can't help but notice that at the end of the game, Mike and Sam have the highest relationship level and that he helped her up.
> 
> It's nearly seven am, I haven't slept, I hope you all like this.
> 
> Title is from Fall Out Boy's Jet Pack Blues.

It was pouring rain and Mike, stupid Mike, had left his apartment this morning, er, afternoon, without a  single clue that the sky was going to open up and drench everything in the Manhattan area. He wiped his wet hair off his face and squinted, trying to see through the sheeting rain falling. He could see bounties of umbrellas, purple umbrellas, black umbrellas, even one that looked like a panda. He was pretty sure one of them had been stolen from one of the outdoor tables from the cafe three blocks away. He looked at everyone else on the street, attempting to hail a cab but every one that passed was already taken. He wondered if anyone would be willing to share a fare, let the poor nineteen year old get back to his apartment to take care of his dog that was afraid of thunderstorms. His dog wasn’t afraid of thunderstorms, but if people thought he was, then maybe they’d be more sympathetic to him. He looked across the street, seeing a shelter that was nearly empty save for a girl huddled up under it. He glanced over at the awnings near him, they all had people under them, given that it was too dark to see properly and raining too hard for tourists to be able to take their best guess direction wise. He stepped out into the street, jogging across carefully, so as not to be hit but also so he didn’t bust ass in the middle of the road because that would be embarrassing and his ass would be unnecessarily wet. 

As he got closer to the awning, he realized why it was nearly empty; the girl underneath it was glaring at anyone who got too close and he was tempted to detour as well, make it look like he wasn’t going for her but at the same time, suck it up. It was pouring rain, they were all wet and honestly, he didn’t give a crap what she wanted. “Hey, uh,” he began, voice raised to be heard over the rain pounding against the pavement, “Do you mind if I wait here until the rain lightens up a bit?” His apartment was like 18 blocks away, he didn’t want to walk that in the rain and his chances of catching a cab were slim to none. 

She turned to look at him with tired eyes but still with fire behind them; anger. She didn’t look all too inviting. “Just don’t get me wet,” she muttered. And it was a fair request, she was nearly entirely dry. Mike gave her a once over, wiping water from his face with a wet, pruned hand and pushing his hair back again. She looked familiar, like he could almost place her but everything was wet, his  _ socks _ were wet and he really couldn’t focus on anything else. 

“I’m Mike,” he said, unsure why he was introducing himself. He had broken up with Jessica just two weeks ago and not even he was that insensitive. Besides, his  _ socks. _ But flirting was just kind of a natural reaction to it, he couldn’t really stop it, especially when it just came out. 

She set her jaw, arms crossed over her chest and she looked cold. She probably was cold and Mike would’ve offered her his jacket were he not soaking wet. As she was about to answer, her phone went off from the pocket of her red, Alpaca brand sweatjacket. She wiped off the screen and leaned back against the fence that was also, fortunately, under the awning. After reading the text, she scoffed. “I’m Sam.” She was smiling now, and she seemed a whole lot nicer and whatever happened in that text was probably not a good thing. 

But god … she was really pretty when she smiled. 

“Who was that?” he asked, licking his lips. Maybe he was that insensitive, who knows. 

Jessica. Jessica did.

And Emily. 

But they were in the past and he was definitely over both of them. Besides, she looked like she was about to cry. Her face was entirely blank, devoid of emotion, but Mike knew better. He knew to look in the eyes to see if someone was about to cry. Emily’s many stress induced breakdowns had taught him well. 

“No one.” It was cold, empty and her voice detached. It was fair. He didn’t know her, she didn’t know him and she sure as fuck didn’t owe him an answer.

He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets and cringing inwardly at the feeling of wet in his clothes. “You alright?” He had to ask. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t. For all he knew, Sam might have been on her way to jump off a bridge.

Sam didn’t respond, pointedly staring out from under the awning at the two men who just started fighting over a cab before a woman got in while they were distracted and closed the door before either of them could realize what happened. “Men are fucking stupid.” 

“Yeah, we are.” It was true, Mike was the dipshit who almost lost the ring and pinky finger on his left hand because he was fucking around with bear traps in the woods and was .004 seconds away from having to get his fingers cut off to get free. He really didn’t have place to say otherwise. “But I’m guessing you’re not talking about those two guy over there that are still fighting over the cab.” 

She bit her lip, turning to look over at him. “Do you wanna go back to my apartment? It only a block away from here.” As if the offer alone wasn’t enough, a hot girl’s apartment where he would  _ innocently _ suggest they get out of their wet clothes, she added, “I have a dryer. I can throw your clothes in so you’re not sitting around wet.” 

“Sure. That sounds great.”

She smiled again and Mike was struck back. It was almost a real smile but it wasn’t in her eyes, she wasn’t happy enough to be smiling. She just knew how to fake it. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ll get lost otherwise.” She took Mike’s hand, led him to the end of the awning and shoved her free hand into her pocket where he presumed her phone and keys were, making sure they weren’t going to be dropped. “Ready?”

Mike put on a smirk. It was just rain and he could take another dousing for the promise of dry clothes. “Ready.” He nodded and they dashed out into the rain. Sam took the lead, her hand squeezing Mike’s tightly as they weaved through the crowds. They were lucky enough to catch the light at the end of the block and she let go of Mike’s hand once they seemed to be getting close. She dug her keys from her pocket and unlocked the front door before she went inside, leading Mike in as well. She didn’t say anything until they went up to the fifth floor in the elevator, stopping at apartment 15D and unlocking the front door.

“Home sweet home,” she said, flipping a light on. She smiled when a cat came out from one of the rooms, brushing up against her leg and Sam reached down to pet it. “Hey, little guy.” 

Mike looked at the cat with distaste. He really was more of a dog person.

Sam seemed to remember that Mike was there after she toed off her shoes by the door. “Hey, just take off your shoes so we’re not stepping in water that’s tracked in.” She lined them up next to the door and Mike did the same with his boots. “Here, um, bathrooms right there,” she pointed to the door, “I have some clothes you can wear for now. They might be a bit short, the guy they belong to is like five inches shorter than you are but dry clothes are dry clothes.” 

She went to get Mike the clothes from what he could only assume was her room, blocked off by a door and Mike seemed to notice there were a lot more cats than just the one. But he also heard a dog bark and at least there was that. 

Wolfie was gonna be pissed smelling another dog on him. 

“It’s cool, I’ll just wear the pants low or something, I’ll be fine.” He really wasn’t that worried about it, it was just a temporary situation. She handed him a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants and he really was grateful, he was cold. “Thanks.” He took the clothes into the bathroom and changed and after a minute, he heard the heat start up before footsteps that faded off into the bedroom again. He took care changing out of his wet clothes and left them in a heap on the floor, with the mind to take his wallet, phone and keys out of his jeans. He felt so much better just taking the wet socks off and he sort of let himself air dry until he felt dry enough to put on the spare clothes. Apparently, whoever they belonged to bought the next size up because they fit Mike just fine but the sweats were still soft inside and he was going to guess they’d only been washed once. He piled up his wet clothes into his arms with a groan and opened the door. Sam was at the dryer on the opposite side of the room, obviously having changed when he did. Her clothes were already in the dryer and the pair of yoga pants she wore really highlighted her ass when she bent over to throw the clothes into the front load dryer. “Here,” Mike said, announcing himself so he didn’t surprise her. 

Sam took the clothes from him and tossed them with the rest of the clothes, sticking a dryer sheet in the machine and closing the door before she turned the machine on. “You can stay here until the rain passes. As long as you promise you’re not going to murder me.” It was obviously a joke, her way of trying to lighten the mood but it was a little too tense and that didn’t help the way it was supposed to.

“I promise, no killing.” He held up his fingers in the boy scouts salute as she turned around to smile at him, leaning back against the machine. 

She thought on this for a moment before she nodded. “Good. Want some tea?” 

“Sure.” 

She moved across to the stove in the back and Mike followed, he didn’t have anything better to do and he didn’t know what to touch, what not to touch. So he was content to just watch. She filled a kettle with water, set it on the stove to boil and opened a cupboard to take out a tin full of tea bags. “Here. Pick one you like.”

Mike didn’t drink tea. He lived on Starbucks and he was pretty sure that if you were to cut him, he’d bleed coffee but he picked out one that looked like a safe bet, chocolate mint and set the bag down on the counter as Sam took out one for herself and took down two mugs from the shelf. She rinsed them out with water and put them on the counter while they waited, in a slightly awkward silence. “Can I ask something?” he said after a few long minutes.

“I have a feeling you’re going to no matter what I say,” Sam replied, looking over at Mike with an expectant look.

“Who really texted you before?”

Sam seemed to be both surprised by this, yet having been expecting it in some form. She looked down, biting her lip and Mike instantly knew he should’ve have asked. “It was my ex-boyfriend, Josh.” she mumbled, not looking up at him as she spoke. “The one who broke up with me just ten minutes before you came along.”

“Shit.” Well .. fuck. He  _ was _ that insensitive. “I’m sorry.”

She waved a hand, dismissing the offer of sympathy. “It was a long time coming, he and his friend Chris had already been flirting off and on for months. I just … prolonged it, y’know.” She gave a bitter laugh, looking up and turning the flame higher under the kettle. “He was already dating Chris .. before he broke up with me.” 

Josh and Chris … Josh and Chris, why did he know those names? He swore they sounded familiar. “Wait … Josh Washington?”

“That’d be him.”

Mike had been friends with Josh back in high school and friends with Chris by default but they went their separate ways after Mike became student body president. “Holy shit! I’ve met you before. At Josh’s lodge, once. Like, three years ago.” 

Sam didn’t seem to remember, or she was really good at keeping her face emotionless. Mike was pretty sure it was that second one. “Sorry, no bells.”

“Nah, I kind of snuck away to a cabin with my girlfriend. Didn’t stick around for very long.” Besides, it had been a huge party. Talking broken windows, the beds trashed, the fireplace cracked. There had been a lot going on and he didn’t blame her for not remembering. Josh had really had it out from his parents later that week. Mike didn’t envy him on that one. Sam just nodded in response.

They lapsed back into silence and Mike looked down to see a cat rubbing up against his leg. He glare at it but didn’t say anything and when the water boiled and the kettle started whistling, Mike nearly gave an audible sigh of relief. Sam poured the water into both of their cups. “I don’t have regular milk, but I do have almond milk, if you want it in your tea.” 

“Nah, I’m good.” Mike knew well enough that the longer you steeped the tea, the stronger it was and he followed Sam over to the couch in front of a decent sized TV. She sat down, tucking her feet up under her and Mike sat down as well, tea bag steeping in the boiling water. 

A cat jumped up onto the couch and Mike had to suppress a groan as Sam smiled. “Hey, Oscar.” She gave him a scratch behind his ears and turned the TV on, flipping through channels until she gave up trying to find something decent and turned on Netflix instead. “Ever watch Parks and Recreation?”

“No …” Matt had tried getting him into that years ago but he always found it boring.

Sam set her mug down and started from the first episode. “You’ve been missing out.”

The dryer buzzed midway through their fourth episode. The rain stopped during season two, episode seven. But Mike still stayed. He didn’t find the show funny, but Sam did and he actually liked hearing her laugh. Besides, he had a feeling she could use the company. Not to mention that it was a real laugh, he could tell. He heard Emily do a lot of fake laughs, especially when she was about to drag someone. They didn’t stop watching until season two ended and Mike stood up, stretching out. “I should get home. I’m sure my dogs needs to go.” 

Sam nodded, standing up as well and going to get Mike’s clothes from the dryer. “Here,” she said, putting them in a Target bag so he could carry them. 

“You don’t want the sweats back?” They were really soft, he kind of hoped she wouldn’t. Mike didn’t own a lot of sweats and this might be the pair that changed his mind.

She crinkled her nose and shook her head. “Nah, no one will wear them.” She went and grabbed her phone from the table and unlocked the screen, pulling up a new contact. “Put your phone number in.” 

Mike did and Sam called him once the contact was saved. He held up his phone to show her that he got the call and saved it and Sam grinned seeing his wallpaper, Wolfie lying in Mike’s bed. “He’s cute.”

“Thanks, he was a stray that found me and it just kind of … clicked.” He was so glad he found Wolfie when he had, before all that shit in the area, the shooting that happened mere days after he and Wolfie had bonded and he took him back to his apartment and bribed his landlord to let him have a dog. 

Sam’s smile widened and it was a real smile. “Most of the cats are strays too. The dog I’m watching for a friend and Oscar is actually my cat but I love them all.” 

Mike nodded, not wanting to say that he didn’t care for cats. “Thanks for having me … and for the clothes. It was good hanging out with you.”

“You too.” They were lingering by the door, Mike’s socked feet shoved into his boots again before he leaned up and was about to leave. “You’re not allowed to finish Parks and Rec without me.”

“Deal. I’ll text you.” He said with a laugh before he left for home.

* * *

 

Three days later

_ From: Sam _

_ Hey. Parks and Rec? _

_ From: Mike _

_ Be there in twenty.  _


End file.
